ADV-91 Introduction to Advertising Stereotypes: Gender ADV-91 Introduction to Advertising

to examine the stereotyping of gender in advertising to understand the evolution of representations of gender identity to analyse these concepts through specific case-studies

Gender is one of the most widely discussed stereotypes in advertising Through ads we can see how society perceives individuals performing to gendered type Arguments suggest that advertising perpetuates stereotypes and conditions us to accept supposedly predetermined roles

Advertising relies on stereotypes in order to relay a message as broadly as possible You need to ask yourselves: “is advertising guilty of creating gender imbalances in society, or does it simply mirror societal attitudes?” How does advertising mirror societal attitudes? Does advertising have responsibilities in addressing gender imbalances?

The advertising image is iconic It can be seen to draw very clear distinctions between men and women Advertising relies on differentiating A from B, by implication, it also draws clear distinctions between genders

Dress codes for men Types of masculinity Changing definitions of masculinity

Changing definitions of masculinity Consider macho man, dark haired, muscular and rugged with the incumbent female Sex plays an important role in defining dominant masculinity and subservient femininity

Women have been portrayed in a number of ways since the dawn of advertising Dumb and subservient was a favorite of advertisers in the mid century

Women have been portrayed in a number of ways since the dawn of advertising The housewife and mother

functional ranking — the tendency to depict men in executive roles and as more functional when collaborating with women relative size — the tendency to depict men as taller and larger than women, except when women are clearly superior in social status ritualization of subordination — an overabundance of images of women lying on floors and beds or as objects of men's mock assaults the feminine touch — the tendency to show women cradling and caressing the surface of objects with their fingers family — fathers depicted as physically distant from their families or as relating primarily to sons, and mothers depicted as relating primarily to daughters

the feminine touch — the tendency to show women cradling and caressing the surface of objects with their fingers

functional ranking — the tendency to depict men in executive roles and as more functional when collaborating with women

ritualization of subordination — an overabundance of images of women lying on floors and beds or as objects of men's mock assaults

relative size — the tendency to depict men as taller and larger than women, except when women are clearly superior in social status

family — fathers depicted as physically distant from their families or as relating primarily to sons, and mothers depicted as relating primarily to daughters

Katherine Frith: “Undressing the Ad” Frith's Level of Analysis Description of the Ad Level The Surface Meaning "consists of the overall impression that a reader might get from quickly studying the advertisement...you can describe this surface level of meaning by simply listing all the objects and people in the ad" (1998:5). The Advertiser's Intended Meaning "is the sales message that the advertiser is trying to get across. Some marketers refer to this as the strategy behind the ad. It is the 'preferred' or expected meaning that a reader might get from the ad; the meaning that the advertiser intends for the reader to take with them" (ibid.). The Cultural or Ideological Meaning "...relies on the cultural knowledge and background of the reader. We all 'make sense' of ads by relating them to our culture and to the shared belief systems held in common by most people" (ibid.).

Turning stereotypes on their heads

"Advertisements sanctify, signify, mythologize, and fantasize "Advertisements sanctify, signify, mythologize, and fantasize. They uphold some of the existing economic and political structures and subvert others. Not only does advertising shape American culture; it shapes Americans' images of themselves." Katherine Frith, “Undressing the Ad: Reading Culture in Advertising”